PuLi Hotel’s Jing’An Restaurant – adorned with dark woods, bamboo screens, lotus flowers, and huge plate-glass windows overlooking Jing’an Park – is one of my favorite places in Shanghai. Brunch here is a lavish affair, with two buffet tables in addition to a la carte orders of main courses and desserts, plus the optional free flow of Moet & Chandon Brut or Moet & Chandon Rose. What more can you ask for?

I usually don’t like buffet food, but the Jing’An version is quite nicely put together. What they entail: a fresh seafood station, charcuterie selection with dressing, roasted meats, freshly baked breads and pastries, imported cheeses, pickled station with pickled eggs, cucumbers onions and marinated mushrooms, fresh salad selection, a variety of homemade condiments, and fresh fruits.

Here’s my plate #1, one of the many to come. I was more than half full before our a la carte orders even arrived at the table…what happened to pacing?

Eye Fillet with Caramelized Onions was a disappointment. It arrived almost well-done, so we sent it back and asked for a medium rare…it came back medium and quite tender, but the meat itself was rather flavorless (though salvaged by the caramelized onions).

Desserts. Double Blueberry Trifle, beautiful in presentation and taste. Would’ve spent more time photographing if the sorbet wasn’t melting away.

Lemon Curd Pie with Yogurt Sorbet.

Finish with a cup of coffee or tea.

Though not all of the dishes sang for us, Jing’An Restaurant is still one of the loveliest places to have brunch in Shanghai. Whether to come back or not isn’t the question – it’s a matter of how often.